tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89251393515545503902018-09-17T02:22:02.891-07:00Musical MindsWelcome to Musical Minds, the &quot;Kindermusik with Miss Lindsay &amp; Friends&quot; blog about making great parenting easier through early childhood music education. For more information about our parent-recommended baby and toddler music classes and our programs for preschoolers and big kids up to age 7, please visit www.eastbaykindermusik.com!Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-88297968955493323012016-03-30T01:12:00.000-07:002016-05-09T17:11:54.402-07:00Top 5 Reasons to Sing Your Heart Out!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2t44fcAP8UU/VvuJMceErSI/AAAAAAAAAxc/OFp8ZRF-thEnC0V5nNbyAOoOAamEyU9sg/s1600/sing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2t44fcAP8UU/VvuJMceErSI/AAAAAAAAAxc/OFp8ZRF-thEnC0V5nNbyAOoOAamEyU9sg/s320/sing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">You're in your toddler's music class. Your teacher is "inviting" you to sing. Ha! No way are you going to be humiliated in front of all these people! You resist. She'll never notice that you're not singing. Nobody else is singing, anyway. You'll look like a fool.&nbsp;But -- oh no! Your teacher, in the guise of trying to "engage" the class, is subtly looking at every single adult in the room, making eye contact and watching their mouths move to see if they're actually singing! Whatever. You've got this. You start mouthing the words to the song. You're here for your kid, after all. This class isn't for you. Your child needs to learn music, because it's supposed to help with her brain development or something. Your brain is already developed.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Then it happens. The teacher looks at you. Your eyes lock, and she gives you a knowing, laughing glance. She's seen through your ruse! She knows you're not singing! She is wordlessly communicating to you that if you don't start singing <i>post-haste</i>, you'll be called out in front of the entire class!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">You are mortified. You start singing...a little. It's terrifying, but better than having that teacher keep giving you The Look. Then, slowly, you start to feel something inside you start to release. The noose that you didn't even realize you had around your heart is beginning to loosen. Images flash through your head. The choir teacher who told you to just mouth the words during the performance...the parent who told you to stop "screeching" in the shower...the smug DJ who laughed at you during karaoke night...one by one, their iron grips on your vocal cords crumble away, and you are singing! You are Taylor Swift! You are Adele! You are Lady Gaga! You are going to be a MILLIONAIRE!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Okay, maybe not. But you are singing, and because you are singing, that little part of your soul that had been locked away inside you is breaking free.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Singing is like running down a hill on a sunny day. It's like getting up on waterskis and feeling the wind rushing through your hair as you glide across the water. It's a release (literally -- it's an endorphin release. Just ask <a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/advice/a30333/ways-to-boost-your-endorphins/" target="_blank">Cosmo</a>). It's you getting to be totally, freely, completely you.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">And here's the secret. It doesn't matter what you sound like. What matters is that you're doing it. And by setting that little piece of your soul free with song, you're teaching your child to do the same thing.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ShHp1cN49c0/VvuJxNc_rjI/AAAAAAAAAxg/10RsabziPp49bv3oxthQzYhVMArsMrKBA/s1600/KIlogoline.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="12" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ShHp1cN49c0/VvuJxNc_rjI/AAAAAAAAAxg/10RsabziPp49bv3oxthQzYhVMArsMrKBA/s320/KIlogoline.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">So, to summarize, here are the top five reasons to sing your heart out in your toddler's music class:</span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">1. Your teacher won't call you out in front of the whole class for <i>not </i>singing.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">2. You might become a millionaire. Beyonce had to start somewhere, right?</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">3. This is payback to all the people who ever told you not to sing.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">4. You'll be setting your soul free and releasing endorphins.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">5. You're empowering your child to find her voice and send that little bit of her soul out into the world.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-align: center;">"Miss" Lindsay is the Director of Kindermusik with Miss Lindsay &amp; Friends. For more information on our holistic approach to teaching music to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">www.eastbaykindermusik.com</a>.</i>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-50763391188439811012015-11-06T20:06:00.000-08:002015-11-07T01:18:13.278-08:00How to Soothe a Scared Child, Part 1<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-elLuuRvzecQ/Vj1nGT_MrTI/AAAAAAAAAuE/He_Nk1zzuv0/s1600/scared-child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-elLuuRvzecQ/Vj1nGT_MrTI/AAAAAAAAAuE/He_Nk1zzuv0/s320/scared-child.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Reagan is one of those children who is just too easy to love. She has perfectly round cheeks and literally <i>squeals </i>with joy every time she sees me. However, for two months, Reagan had a tendency to get frightened during her Kindermusik class. Our beloved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.musicalminds3.blogspot.com/2008/05/cow-book.html" target="_blank">Cow Book</a>&nbsp;scared her.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">In Reagan's class, I avoided The Cow Book (which became known as "The Scary Book") for many months.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Everyone else in class wanted to read The Scary Book, but I </span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">just couldn't bear the thought of making Reagan whimper or cry. &nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Soon Reagan felt so pressured that she would pretend she wasn't afraid of the book. "I not scared," she would say, trying to be cool in front of her friends.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">One day, I had had enough. The Cow Book is a classic in our studio. There are multiple videos on YouTube and Facebook of children younger than Reagan absolutely cracking up over the pig who tricks us at the end of the book by shouting, "Whee, whee, whee!" instead of oinking. The other children deserved to experience the Cow Book again. Surely we could find a way to help Reagan get over her fear.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">I brought out The Cow Book.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"Reagan," I asked. "Are you afraid of this book?"&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">She looked at me uncertainly.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"It's okay if you are," I reassured her.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">She nodded.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"Reagan, do you think this book could actually hurt you?" She wasn't sure.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"It won't," I promised. "The animals aren't real. See? It's just me, pretending to be the animals. See this page? See how the flap has a hole in it? That's where I put my mouth in to pretend to be the pig. See? So can this book hurt you?"&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aXXkxMsobaU/Vj10dzu-AkI/AAAAAAAAAuY/zW_UHdljhxo/s1600/cowbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aXXkxMsobaU/Vj10dzu-AkI/AAAAAAAAAuY/zW_UHdljhxo/s1600/cowbook.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Me, pretending to be a mouse in the flashcard version of The Cow Book</i></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"No," she said.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"If you feel scared while I read the book, that's okay. It's okay to be scared. But even though you feel scared, this book isn't dangerous.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">It's just Miss Lindsay. Would Miss Lindsay ever hurt you?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"No." Now she was giggling.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"Would Miss Lindsay ever bring a book into class that could hurt you?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"No!" she laughed.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"Okay!" I said. "So now we know, it's okay to feel scared, but this book absolutely cannot hurt you, and you are going to be okay. Now can we read it?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"Yes!"</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"It's okay if you're scared."</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">"I not scared!"</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">That was two weeks ago. Last week, everyone wanted to read not only The Cow Book but The Zoo Book (same concept) as well. We read both books. Reagan wasn't scared.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Today, she and the other kids demanded that we read The Cow Book and The Zoo Book yet&nbsp;again!</span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Instead, we read </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hurry Home, Little Kittens</i><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">. I can only handle so much Cow Book before I start to go a little batty.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">But I think Reagan's cured.</span><br /><br /><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-align: center;">"Miss" Lindsay is the Director of Kindermusik with Miss Lindsay &amp; Friends. For more information on our holistic approach to teaching music to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">www.eastbaykindermusik.com</a>.</i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-46758810639195184572015-10-26T22:16:00.000-07:002015-11-02T13:48:48.407-08:00Everybody's Grandpa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c114l0AL8lE/Vi9DAlB4zmI/AAAAAAAAAto/8RzKkNLKqVM/s1600/grandfather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c114l0AL8lE/Vi9DAlB4zmI/AAAAAAAAAto/8RzKkNLKqVM/s1600/grandfather.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">John's grandparents have been attending Kindermusik classes with us since John was a baby. I used to think John's grandma, Carolee, loved class more than any other human being, including all of the kids. Carolee is a former preschool teacher, and when John was a baby, she would spend the whole time laughing heartily at his antics and the antics of the other children around him. I knew from the moment I met her that Carolee was some sort of Kindermusik angel sent to watch over us and make sure we squeezed every bit of joy we could get out of each and every class.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">It wasn't until about four or five semesters in, though, that I realized that John's grandpa might actually be having a better time in class than either John or Carolee. John's grandpa loves to sing. John's grandpa can sing almost as high as I can, and he does, at every opportunity. Today in class, John's grandpa tried to sing along with a piggyback song that I was <i>making up as I went along </i>to the tune of Queen's "We Will Rock You". After that, he was rolling around on the ground with two little boys. Obviously, one was not John; let's call him Jack. John's aunt (yes, John comes with a full entourage) whispered, "Dad! Stop tickling that little boy! That's not John!" Jack's mother pulled me aside and laughed. "She's new," she said. "She doesn't realize that he always plays with Jack. Jack loves him!"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Indeed, when John's Grandpa comes to class, he is everybody's grandpa. He comes to class with the spirit of a very outgoing little kid. He rolls around on the floor, makes up harmonies to songs he's never heard before, and gets everyone riled up with his fun-loving personality. I joke that he's the one in the family who's my student. To tell the truth, though, he and Carolee and Jack's mom and all the other fantastic parents in that class are the best possible "Kindermusik Grownups" -- they come for the fun, stay in the moment, sing like they're the stars of the show, and aren't afraid to marvel in -- and even emulate -- the wonder that is the two-year-old child.&nbsp;</span><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>"Miss" Lindsay is the Director of Kindermusik with Miss Lindsay &amp; Friends. For more information on our holistic approach to teaching music to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">www.eastbaykindermusik.com</a>.</i></span></div></div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-19679536998219618572015-10-25T22:02:00.002-07:002015-10-25T22:48:03.195-07:00How to Comfort A Crying Child in Four Steps<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/86/d0/86d0f93b1a0d3ac646cb4e76894a1dd8.jpg?itok=hz4nVU41" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the saddest things in the world is a child crying inconsolably for no apparent reason.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In class this week, a beautiful little girl started laughing hysterically during one of our class activities. Then, perhaps overwhelmed by the strength of her own emotion, she started crying as if brokenhearted. Tears poured from her blue eyes, her face turned red, and her breath heaved as she clung to the assistant teacher at her side.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The assistant teacher tried to soothe her, saying, "Why are you crying? What's wrong? What's the matter?" However, children often don't know what they're feeling, much less why they're feeling it. Our job is to help them identify the feeling and to help them make sense of the emotional maelstrom that threatens to pull them into its undertow.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I don't think she knows why she's crying," I ventured. "You don't know why you're crying, do you?" I asked the child. She shook her head no. "It's okay. Sometimes I get really sad, too, and I don't know why, but i</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">t's good to feel all the feelings.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you miss Miss Paulette?" She kept crying but nodded. Miss Paulette was the head teacher who usually attended class with us. "It's okay to be sad when we miss someone. It's okay to cry." The little girl seemed slightly reassured but kept sobbing.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k8bkWMpzMPQ/Vi2viSb5QZI/AAAAAAAAAtA/KFAdcOD5-XU/s1600/Bray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k8bkWMpzMPQ/Vi2viSb5QZI/AAAAAAAAAtA/KFAdcOD5-XU/s320/Bray.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this point, the rest of the class was transfixed on the little girl, and since I'm a teacher, a red flag went off in my mind for two reasons. First, no one likes to be stared at when they're crying. Second, when it comes to children, crying can be contagious.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortunately, music is one of the best ways to redirect a room full of children </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and&nbsp;</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">calm turbulent feelings. We switched from the goofy, quick-paced activity to a sweet, moderately slow song about an owl. The song is written in a minor key, a musical flavor tinged with sadness, and features an owl hooting three times at the end of each line. As a class, we wondered if perhaps the owl was feeling sad.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we sang the song, the little girl's breathing started to slow. The attention was off her, and her feelings were being validated by the sad little owl who, with his slow song in a minor key, seemed to feel the same way she was feeling. By the end of the class, she was what psychologists call "emotionally regulated." Her feelings were no longer overwhelming her; she was comforted.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next time your child is crying inconsolably, try these four steps:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Tell him he is safe and loved. </b>These are the two things every child always needs to know, especially when they're upset.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Help the child name his feeling. </b>Is he sad? Angry? Scared?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Validate the child's feeling.&nbsp;</b>Help him understand why he might be feeling his feeling, and reassure him that it's okay to feel that way.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Use music to help your child move through the feeling. </b>Play or sing a slow song or lullaby, preferably in a minor key. For example,&nbsp;<i>Sulla Lulla </i>is a beautiful song that you may already have as part of your Kindermusik collection. If not, you can find it online at <a href="http://play.kindermusik.com/">http://play.kindermusik.com</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May you be happy</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May you be safe</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May you be healthy</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May you be at peace</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Musically,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Miss" Lindsay</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Miss Lindsay is the Director of Kindermusik with Miss Lindsay &amp; Friends. For more information on our holistic approach to teaching music to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/">www.eastbaykindermusik.com</a>.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-32433177905357632802012-09-17T00:39:00.001-07:002012-09-17T00:40:59.117-07:00REvolution, Kindermusik-style!!<span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Those of you enrolled in our toddler and preschool classes know what I mean. We've rocked your world a little bit and maybe even your boat too. <em>Wiggle &amp; Grow, Laugh &amp; Learn</em> and <em>Move &amp; Groove </em>families (those are the curriculum names of NEW Kindermusik classes) are joining the revolution of the evolution of our awesome new Digital Home Materials.</span><br /><strong></strong><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><img alt="At Home Logo" height="91" src="http://www.kindermusik.com/Legacy/Teach/TL_Resources/MARKETING/KI_at_Home_Logo.jpg" title="At Home Logo" width="320" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">my.kindermusik.com</span></div><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">So what does that mean and how does it affect you? It means that Kindermusik International has done it again. They've made the magic, learning, and music they're known for new once more...and this time it's easier, more convenient, and more applicable than ever before. Through rigorous research, planning, thought, love, and care, Kindermusik International has created a digital delivery system that will bring music, literature, home activities, videos, and up-to-date research on child development into your hands anytime and anywhere. These materials are accessible on your home computer, tablet, or smartphone. <em> (Um, yep. You heard that right. Standing in the grocery line, anyone? Waiting at the doctor's office?)</em> They bring you everything you love about Kindermusik in an eco-friendly digital format that will never get lost, left behind, chewed up, used up, or need to be trucked there to here wasting-fossil-fuels-up.</span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">It's an exciting time to be part of the Kindermusik family. We hope you love Kindermusik @Home as much we do!</span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">.............</span></strong><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Digital Home Materials FAQ</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Have some questions? We want to answer them! If you don't find what you're looking for below, give us a ring at (925) 866-8055 or email us at <a href="mailto:misslindsay76@gmail.com">misslindsay76@gmail.com</a>.</span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How do I find or access my materials?</span></strong></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">From your desktop, tablet, or smartphone, visit my.kindermusik.com (notice there's no www). Enter your email address and log in as a new user to set your password. If you already have registered with play.kindermusik.com, you can use the same email address and password in both places. Once you've set up your account, you'll be directed to your home page where you'll find your child's unit of materials waiting for you. (Wiggle &amp; Grow: "Time for Lunch" or Laugh &amp; Learn: "Out and About"). Just click the unit icon to start exploring!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Every four weeks a new unit will automatically be delivered to your account. The units you already own will remain in your account forever growing your library of music, activities, and books!</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><strong></strong></span></span><br /><strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span></strong><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>I'm having trouble accessing my materials. What do I do?</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">If you experience any difficulty logging in or accessing your current unit, please contact us immediately. We are working directly with our friends at Kindermusik International to make sure you have a hassle-free experience. We appreciate knowing about any trouble you encounter as soon as possible so we can troubleshoot and uncover the solution quickly.&nbsp;<br /> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><strong></strong></span></span><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How do I get the music for the class?</span></strong></span><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><strong></strong></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">The music for your child's class is available in the orange-colored Download Center on the unit homepage for your child's curriculum. Simply click to download the music to your computer and then burn a CD, import to iTunes, or save and listen in whichever way your prefer to organize your music!</span></span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Our family has rules about screen time. How can we use these materials?</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Kindermusik International knows and respects that each family gets to decide what's best for them when it comes to this issue. In creating this digital resource, Kindermusik has read about and researched this topic thoroughly. We have aligned our stance with that of the highly respected </span></span><a href="http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children" target="_blank" title="NAEYC/Rogers link"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning</span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">, recognizing that children can benefit from a responsible and age-appropriate use of technology in combination with hands-on experiences and in partnership with an actively involved caregiver. We are proud to bring these high-quality materials to your family which truly embody the very best of both worlds- a responsible introduction to technology AND lots of hands-on, movement-rich, in-your-lap, down-on-the-floor learning.</span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">These materials are designed for you and your child to use cooperatively, engaging with one another as you read, watch, discuss, and discover. Most of the videos are less than 2 minutes in length. The book can be used as an e-book or can be printed from the Download Center and enjoyed traditionally. Activities can be printed from the Download Center and enjoyed over and over again. Parents can read, watch, and learn about the latest research in early childhood education and their child's development. They are truly a rich and exciting tool that's now available to you anytime and anywhere!</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><strong></strong></span></span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Why is my monthly payment different from last Spring?</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">One of the benefits of going digital is that we're now able to offer families enrolled in Wiggle &amp; Grow and Laugh &amp; Learn an overall COST SAVINGS on Kindermusik. Even though you'll now be receiving MORE music, MORE literature, and MORE activity ideas, the digital delivery allows us to save on expensive shipping and handling costs. That translates to a significant savings for you and a greener more eco-friendly practice for the globe. Plus, there are no more up-front materials charges. Just one low monthly payment that bundles your tuition and Digital Home Materials into one. </span></span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But my child is enrolled in Village, Imagine That,&nbsp;or Young Child. When do I get Digital Home Materials?</span></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"> Digital Home Materials are currently not available for these classes. I know. We're sorry, but our fingers and toes are crossed that they're coming very, very soon! And you can bet that as soon as they're available, we'll be delivering them directly to you! In the meantime, you get to continue enjoying Kindermusik's award-winning physical Home Materials. </span></span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T6aEEwttzAo/UFbTrt2ZJhI/AAAAAAAAAOw/PbGHkKCvwNk/s1600/DSCN8614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T6aEEwttzAo/UFbTrt2ZJhI/AAAAAAAAAOw/PbGHkKCvwNk/s320/DSCN8614.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-53042932359998394792012-07-15T19:16:00.000-07:002012-07-15T19:16:05.954-07:007 tips for family music time<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/montessoribyhand/7556860350/" title="familymusictime2 by sew liberated, on Flickr"><img alt="familymusictime2" height="428" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/7556860350_4113b99a84_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><strong>A wonderful blog post from Mommy Educator Blogger "Sew Liberated" begins...</strong><br /><br />This morning, I stopped to ponder the road I’ve traveled to get where I am now – which led me to consider a few of those roads that I didn’t choose. The one that stood out to me was that decision, nine years ago, to pursue graduate studies in Montessori education rather than music therapy - a decision that led to living and teaching in rural Mexico for three years, which ultimately led to an interest in Latin American history on Patrick’s part, which landed us here in the land of Duke, et cetera, et cetera.<br /><br /><strong>Read the rest </strong><a href="http://sewliberated.typepad.com/sew_liberated/2012/07/7-tips-for-family-music-time.html" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a><strong>!</strong>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-74102381029497918532012-06-25T19:09:00.001-07:002012-06-25T19:09:30.076-07:00Kindermusik Director of Education Featured in USA Today’s “Guide to Kids’ Health”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Carol_USAToday_Kindermusik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="size-full wp-image-2409" height="388" src="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Carol_USAToday_Kindermusik.jpg" title="Carol_USAToday_Kindermusik" width="294" /></a></div><div class="entry-content"><div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_2409" style="width: 304px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Carol_USAToday_Kindermusik.jpg"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"></span></a></div><div class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Carol Penney, Kindermusik's Director of Education</span></div></div><h3><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Carol Penney, </span><a href="http://www.kindermusik.com/"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Kindermusik International</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">‘s Director of Education and Kindermusik educator for 30 years is featured this week in the </span><a href="http://onlinestore.usatoday.com/guide-to-kids-health-p16311.aspx" target="_blank" title="USA Today Guide to Kids Health: Teach Your Child to Love Music"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">USA Today “Guide to Kids’ Health” Summer 2012 issue</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"> in the article, “Music &amp; Learning in Perfect Harmony” by Mara Gorman.</span></h3><a href="http://getfile9.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-06-21/voHDnbwFmsszigAIFBzvcHodaqbaejneoDgutCAeoFFxrHCCoutGftIvAohh/USA_Today_KidsHealth_Music.pdf" target="_blank" title="Music &amp; LEarning in Perfect Harmony"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Download the full article here.</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">The article talks about why we should teach our children to love music and why playing music now means a higher GPA later. This is something we at Kindermusik have been known for 30+ years, prior to </span><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060920093024.htm" target="_blank" title="First Evidence of Benefit of Music on Brain Development in Young Children"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">the first evidence supporting the benefits of music on cognitive development in young children,</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"> released only six years ago in 2006. This issue is near and dear to our hearts, being that our mission is to bring learning through music to children across the world, and is especially important as schools continue to cut back on arts &amp; music program, leaving a hole in education that parents must fill. We wanted to share a recap of the article, along with some of our favorite quotes and features to bring attention to why music is one of the best learning methods for child development.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">The article beg</span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/USAToday-KidsHealth-LoveMusic.png"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">ins with a question:</span><br /><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/USAToday-KidsHealth-LoveMusic-228x300.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Guide to Kids Health: Teach Your Child to Love Music" border="0" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2411" height="300" src="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/USAToday-KidsHealth-LoveMusic-228x300.png" title="USAToday-KidsHealth-LoveMusic" width="228" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">“What if someone told you that from the moment your child was born, you could do something to improve her self-esteem, confidence, social skills, eye-hand coordination, and eventually her grade point average? Of course, you would sign up, maybe even if it meant extensive training or expense.”</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">As a parent, we all want to do what’s best for our children. As we at Kindermusik have known and the theme echoed throughout the piece: early and meaningful exposure to music in a family’s life is one of the best gifts we can give our children! As we discuss on this music education blog, </span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/category/benefits-of-music/" target="_blank" title="Early Childhood Development - Benefits of Music"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">early music exposure for children has infinite benefits</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">. Kindermusik classes primarily focus on early childhood development – for children age newborn to seven. As research has shown, the earlier we begin to share music with children, the better:</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">“Children are never too young to start experiencing music. In fact, the most fertile time for music learning is between birth and 5 years old.”</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">This guide also points out that being musically inclined is not a requirement to be able to incorporate music into your child’s life. As parents, we can bang on pots &amp; pans to a </span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/tag/steady-beat/" target="_blank" title="Steady Beat"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">steady beat</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">, play our favorite lullabies at bedtime or radio station for a dance party,</span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/foundations-of-learning-2/fol-friday-hearing-patterns/" target="_blank" title="Hearing Patterns &amp; Homemade Drums"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"> have a good ol’ fashioned family jam session with homemade instruments</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">, or </span><a href="https://secure.mainstreetsites.com/dmn1981/demos.aspx" target="_blank" title="Kindermusik Music Classes for Babies, Toddlers &amp; Children"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">try a Kindermusik class together</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">! All of these things will set your child on the right path to early learning. The article suggests finding music classes in your area through programs like Kindermusik, citing the benefits of music. In class, we use </span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/benefits-of-music/fol-fridays-movement-with-instrument-play/" target="_blank" title="Instrument Play &amp; Making Music"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">instrument play</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/kindermusik/again-again-learning-by-repetition/" target="_blank" title="Repetition - Again! Again!"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">repetition</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">,</span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/kindermusik/thank-you-kindermusik-toys-away-song/" target="_blank" title="The Toys Away Song!"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"> special songs for every day chores</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/rainy-day-activities-for-kids/activities-for-babies-i-love-you/" target="_blank" title="Baby Massage &amp; Love You Rituals"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">soothing rituals</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/parenting-tips/fol-fridays-audi-what-audiation/" target="_blank" title="Audiation &amp; Learning Music"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">audiation</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/kindermusik/fol-fridays-sign-language-for-hearing-children/" target="_blank" title="Sign Language for Hearing Children"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">sign language</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/parenting-tips/fol-fridays-benefits-of-reading-aloud/" target="_blank" title="Reading Aloud to Your Child"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">books</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">, and </span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/category/foundations-of-learning-2/" target="_blank" title="Foundations of Learning with Music for Children"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">more foundations of learning through music </span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">to give children the tools they need to develop cognitive, physical, and social skills.</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">“Music makes a great teaching tool. “Everyone knows their ABC’s because of the melody,” says Carol Penney, director of education for Kindermusik, a music education program. ”Traditional children’s songs are perfect learning devices for turning sounds into words and words into creative thoughts.”’</span></blockquote><h3><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Here are some additional fun “Did you know?” moments from the article:</span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Kindermusik_2011-215-Medium-300x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kindermusik Music Classes for Toddlers" border="0" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2457" height="148" src="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Kindermusik_2011-215-Medium-300x200.jpg" title="Kindermusik_2011 (215) (Medium)" width="221" /></a></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Children who engage in musical activities from infancy end up with stronger literacy, language, and math skills. They also typically have higher SAT scores and are more likely to graduate from college.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Studies show that early and consistent exposure to music improves children’s academic performance. The explanation lies in music’s ability to affect brain<br />development.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">“Music education actually rewires the brain in the same area w</span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Kindermusik_2011-215-Medium.jpg"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">here you develop math, language, and spatial reasoning skills.” ~ Jill Todd, president, Music Intelligence Project</span></li><li><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Kindermusik classes use percussion instruments like the Japanese den-den drum, seen here, to encourage rhythm and movement.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">The top instruments for young children are: 1) Voice. 2) Percussion and 3) Keyboard. Many kids start lessons at 7 or 8, so look into a music education program if you think your child is ready for daily practice.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><a href="https://secure.mainstreetsites.com/dmn1981/demos.aspx" target="_blank"><img alt="Give Your Child the Gift of Music!" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2425" height="327" src="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/KI_336x280.jpg" title="KI_336x280" width="392" /></a></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">*All quotes in this post from Mara Gorman’s article in the USA Today Guide to Kid’s Health, Summer 2012 issue.</span><br /><a href="http://onlinestore.usatoday.com/guide-to-kids-health-p16311.aspx" target="_blank" title="USA Today Guide to Kids Health: Teach Your Child to Love Music"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Order the USA Today Guide to Kid’s Health here!</span></a><br /></blockquote>Reposted from <a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/kindermusik/kindermusik-director-of-education-featured-in-usa-todays-guide-to-kids-health/" target="_blank">Minds on Music</a>, by Jamie Sterling.<br /><blockquote></blockquote></div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-33990373318314326512012-06-21T20:20:00.002-07:002012-06-21T20:23:01.558-07:00Again! Again!<span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><strong>Have you ever wondered why a child will ask you to read the same book over and over</strong> or perhaps never tires of rolling the ball back and forth? A </span><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120523200252.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">newly published study</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"> may shed some light on this learning technique of young children. Nicknamed the “Goldilocks effect”, the study examines the attention span of infants in relation to the complexity of the world around them. The results showed that infants focus only on situations that are neither too difficult nor too easy. (That's exactly what we've always said in Kindermusik, and why we teach parents how to scaffold for their children. We'll be covering this concept in our&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/schedule.html" target="_blank"><em>Creatures at the Ocean </em>classes</a> this month.)</span><br /><div class="entry-content"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/KindermusikClass_AgainAgain.jpg"><img alt="Kindermusik Class - Learning by Repetition" class="alignright size-full wp-image-2401" height="320" src="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/KindermusikClass_AgainAgain.jpg" title="KindermusikClass_AgainAgain" width="240" /></a> </div><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">“The study suggests that babies are not only attracted by what is happening, but they are able to predict what happens next based on what they have already observed,” says Kidd, lead author on the report. “They are not passive sponges. They are active information seekers looking for the best information they can find.” Children who are engaged in a <strong>sensory rich learning experience</strong> are best equipped to receive and retain new information. The repetition of a fun activity likely yields <strong>new information</strong> each time for your child and provides an opportunity for them to<strong> test their predictions</strong> based on their latest observations.&nbsp;&nbsp; "Parents&nbsp;don’t need to buy fancy toys to help their children learn. They make the best use of their environment. They are going to look around for what fits their attention level.<strong> Kids learn best from social interaction</strong>,"&nbsp;reminds Kidd.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">I hope your family can enjoy some fun, social interaction in a Kindermusik class this summer! </span><a href="https://secure.mainstreetsites.com/dmn1981/demos.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Click here</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"> to schedule your free preview class.</span><br /><br /><em><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">This article from Kindermusik International's blog, </span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/kindermusik/again-again-learning-by-repetition/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Minds on Music</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">, was originally posted by Miss Aimee of </span><a href="http://www.delightfulsounds.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Delightful Sounds</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">, a Kindermusik Studio in&nbsp;Florida. Miss Aimee&nbsp;has been&nbsp;named a Maestro in Outreach by Kindermusik International, recognizing her considerable efforts each year to reach underserved populations of children in her community.</span></em></div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-89032819318829738752012-06-19T17:23:00.001-07:002012-06-19T17:23:16.609-07:00My Little Singer, or, "If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OWjcL3FWSUQ/T-EXA9G2z7I/AAAAAAAAAOk/wYC29stcRYI/s1600/shakespeare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OWjcL3FWSUQ/T-EXA9G2z7I/AAAAAAAAAOk/wYC29stcRYI/s320/shakespeare.jpg" width="237" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">When my wife was pregnant with our first child, we had one of those baby journals where we noted everything from Braxton Hicks contractions to strange cravings at impossible hours. One of the<br />things I remember we had to fill in was what we wanted our child to be when she grew up. I wrote “folk singer” imagining a poetic soul like Joni Mitchell’s, but with not much of a voice, like Bob Dylan.<br /><br />You see, neither my wife nor I sing. I’m not sure whether it’s because we can’t sing, or whether we can sing but our standards are too high, but we sure choose not to sing, and I must say we don’t<br />enjoy the sound of each other’s singing voice much. They say that a child loves its parents’ singing voice no matter how bad, and both of us having sung our child to sleep many a night, we can confirm that happily, this is indeed true. But as we predicted, our daughter seemed to take after us in the vocal aesthetics department.<br /><br />She would sing loudly and boisterously all over the house, always off-key, always off-beat. But she loved to sing, and we praised her unequivocally. And quietly, we worried. She was even worse than us! we thought. At least we could keep a beat and sing in tune! She must be tone deaf, we thought. We even considered some kind of musical therapy.<br /><br />Then as fate would have it, I became involved in a project composing children’s songs. These songs would be sung from the point of view of characters from Shakespeare, but simply and innocently. You know, Cordelia would sing about how hard it was to express in words how much she loved her father. Hamlet would sing about this man named Yorick who used to play with him when he was a child, and how he missed this man. It was a lovely idea, and we were getting a lot of interest.<br /><br />So I had to put together a presentation. I hired musicians, technicians, engineers, booked a recording studio, called on professional singers, all to record a couple of samples for this presentation for publishers, app developers, and even investors.<br /><br />And my daughter, who had always been a part of the songwriting process (I field ideas to her on the walk to and from school every day) suddenly piped up and said that she wanted to sing one of the songs. Cue sideways glances.<br /><br />Oh well, we thought, just a few extra minutes of studio time so that we could indulge her, and let her stand inside the glass-walled booth with headphones on, and emulate some of the singers she idolized. So we let her try.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OiZFs9i4OXQ/T-EWVLF5GhI/AAAAAAAAAOc/VKGbL8x-XCA/s1600/Sherman+Studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OiZFs9i4OXQ/T-EWVLF5GhI/AAAAAAAAAOc/VKGbL8x-XCA/s320/Sherman+Studio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">And that’s when something happened. She heard herself for the first time. She compared herself to professional singers, suddenly. In a split second she had developed a self-critical faculty. And she began to self-correct. By the end of the first take, she was singing the song beautifully.<br /><br />Then she paged us. “Can I go again? I messed up at the beginning.”<br /><br />She had become a professional!<br /><br />We included her recording as part of the presentation, and it had the same effect each time. Everyone who heard it said that yes, the songs were great, and the singers were marvellous, but we should consider having our daughter sing all the songs.<br /><br />And the rest is history. (You can </span><a href="http://kck.st/KoAuw6" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">see the video here</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">.)<br /><br />Our daughter turned five yesterday. When we asked what she wanted for her birthday, she said she wanted a guitar. And yesterday, she was so happy to finally have one. And I was happy too. Maybe my dream of her becoming a folk singer would come true after all.<br /><br /><br />DAESHIN KIM is the father of SHERMAN KIM, and together they are creating and recording songs for children sung by characters from Shakespeare. You can </span><a href="http://kck.st/KoAuw6" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">find out more about their project, support them, and pre-order their work here</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">.<br />Their crowdfunding campaign ends on June 21, after which they will have to turn to Plan B (none of the transactions will be processed and they will receive nothing if they do not reach their goal by the end of the campaign period).</span>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-5889529186129167832012-06-14T16:13:00.002-07:002012-06-14T16:13:48.706-07:00Baby Boogie Benefits<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In preparing to teach "Peekaboo, I Love You," our summer music class for babies, I came across this WONDERFUL article on the advantages of shared dancing and had to share! Want to reap these same benefits with your baby&nbsp;this summer? </span><a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sign up for a Kindermusik class!</span></a>&nbsp;</span></span><div align="center"><h1><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Shared Dancing Has Benefits<br />For Babies &amp; New Moms Alike</span></span></span></h1><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Every parent knows the calming effects on their baby of rocking and gentle motion. After all, who among us has not paced the floor at 2 am trying to entice a little one back to sleep by rocking, bouncing or swaying? </span></span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img align="right" alt="mom and baby dancing" height="209" hspace="12" src="http://www.chiff.com/pics2/dancing-mom.jpg" vspace="20" width="149" /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">While you may not be able to do much about those late night pacing sessions, you can capitalise on your baby’s love of rhythmical movement to benefit both of you in many other ways as well. Instead of saving your dance sessions for the wee hours, why not make music and dancing a regular part of your routine with your baby? </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Babies begin to develop rhythm skills very early on when they are consistently exposed to music and movement. In fact, it’s probably more accurate to say that babies are born with natural rhythm and all we need to do is nurture it. If you exposure your baby to the joys of dance throughout his childhood, just think how much more confident he'll feel as a teenager at his high school prom! In cultures where music and dance are a part of everyday life, no one grows up to be “rhythmically challenged!” </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If rhythm and movement are a consistent part of your child’s life from an early age, the ability to express herself through creative movement will stay with her throughout her life. Many parents are concerned about the effects of inactivity on their children in this age of easy access to computers and video games. Cultivating a love of music and dance early in life provides an excellent introduction to other healthy physical activities. </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Even when your baby is very young, dancing in your arms can be an exciting play and social time that he will look forward to. You will probably find that as your baby grows he will soon begin to eagerly anticipate his favorite dance moves like dips and spins. He’ll also tell you by his reactions what type of music and dancing he likes best. </span><br /> <br /><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>The best things happen when you're dancing</b></span> <br /> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For parents, sharing movement and music with your baby helps in creating a stronger parent child bond. Many parents find that the more time they spend in close contact with their baby, the more sensitive they become to their baby’s needs and signals, and the more easily they are able to decipher what their baby is telling them. Done regularly, shared dancing can become a wonderful way to communicate with your baby. </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For new moms especially, moving to music with baby is a delightful way to get some gentle exercise and helps with getting back in shape after childbirth. Most new mothers are eager to lose those extra pregnancy pounds, yet it’s also important to eat well and not exert yourself too strenuously, especially in the early postpartum weeks when you may not be getting much sleep. Holding your baby in your arms while you both enjoy a waltz, a 2-step or even some good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll, is a wonderful way to get some gentle exercise, and it’s fun too! </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And finally, we all know that a stressed out mom equals a stressed out baby. But because dancing is such good exercise, it tends to produce endorphins, the body’s natural “feel good” chemicals. These are the same ones responsible for “runner’s high.” So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed out, try picking up baby and taking him for a spin around the living room to your favourite music. You might just find that you both become calmer as a result. </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So why not make good use of your natural instincts to cuddle and rock your baby? Put on your favorite music and enjoy a few dances with your baby on a regular basis. You’ll get a much needed break and some fun exercise. And whether your baby falls asleep or dances right along with you, she’ll be enjoying this special bonding and playtime with you while developing an appreciation for music and movement that has the potential to stay with her throughout her life.</span><br /> <br /><hr /> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>About the Author...</b></i><br />Susan Peach has over 20 years experience as a Latin dance and fitness instructor. She is also the creator of Mambo Moms, a fun and gentle Latin dance based fitness program that helps new moms get back in shape while spending quality play time with their babies. Find out more at <a href="http://www.mambomoms.com/" target="_blank">http://www.mambomoms.com</a> . Source: <a href="http://www.chiff.com/a/dance-with-baby.htm">http://www.chiff.com/a/dance-with-baby.htm</a></span>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-63044681135501567992012-06-11T21:02:00.000-07:002012-06-11T21:17:11.521-07:00Your Active Toddler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever found yourself, after a busy day chasing your toddler,&nbsp;wanting to do this?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KulBGmxsIqE/T9a5BTZGbaI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/KlgYiqWcyaA/s320/babytape.jpg" width="320" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hmm...she doesn't look too happy (although she is very cute!) Here are a few alternatives you can try when your toddler is having a particularly energetic day:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Take her to the park and let her run around.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Take her to a water park and let her get drenched. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">3. Bust out all of the pots, pans, and tupperware in your kitchen and make your own "kitchen commotion". (If you need a soundtrack, try downloading "Kitchen Commotion" or "Dancing Spoons" from <a href="http://play.kindermusik.com/">http://play.kindermusik.com</a>)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">4. Buy yourself a&nbsp;cheap beachball (you can usually find a beachball for $2 or less). Give it to your child. Stand back and see what she does.&nbsp;Does she kick it? Throw it? Eat it? Take notes so you can chart her progress over the summer.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">5. Go to the mall and watch other people's children. Notice how many of them are even MORE active than your toddler! Then be glad you've got yours instead of theirs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">6. Take out your phone and take a million videos of your toddler. Post them on YouTube (or on this blog, if you'd like), or send them to America's Funniest Home Videos.&nbsp;Get rich. Share the money with me. Thanks!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">7. Take out your phone and take a million pictures of your toddler's antics. Post them on Facebook so&nbsp; that all of your friends can take a break from reading about what everyone else has had for breakfast that day, and instead bask in the glory of your child's adorable-ness.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">8. Put your little one down for a nap, get on your computer, and sign her up for a trial class at your <a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/" target="_blank">favorite local Kindermusik studio</a>. If you don't live in the East Bay, then mine <em>might </em>not be your favorite local Kindermusik studio. If you live in Ohio, please go to <a href="http://misschrista.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">Christa's studio</a>, and if you live in Florida, please go to <a href="http://playtimemusicstudios.com/" target="_blank">Kerri's</a> or <a href="http://www.growandsing.com/" target="_blank">Holly's</a> studio, and if you live in Georgia, please go to <a href="http://www.stmartins.org/dunwoody_school.html" target="_blank">Jane's</a> studio, and if you live in Chicago, please go to <a href="http://www.bucktownmusic.com/Bucktown_Music/Bucktown_Music.html" target="_blank">Jessica's studio</a>. If you live in Houston, wait for <a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/AboutUs/aboutMissShannon.html" target="_blank">Shannon</a> to open&nbsp;her studio, and then go there, but if you live in Dallas, just go to <a href="http://soundsteps.com/" target="_blank">SoundSteps</a>&nbsp;with Lisa. We love SoundSteps because all of their teachers keep moving to California and coming to work with us! If you live somewhere else, then please post a comment below and ask for a recommendation, or visit <a href="http://www.kindermusik.com/legacy/classes/classlocator.aspx" target="_blank">Kindermusik International's class locator</a>, enter your zip, and see what comes up! Because let's face it -- you're going to&nbsp;need to make sure your child gets some serious musical skills if you're going to get your&nbsp;toddler dancing video to go viral.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Happy toddling!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Posted by Lindsay Levin, a.k.a. "Miss Lindsay" from Kindermusik with Miss Lindsay &amp; Friends, who loves watching other people's toddlers run around.</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-62485831341629010532012-06-07T12:21:00.002-07:002012-06-07T12:21:19.759-07:00Summer Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EA8bCBCuyt8/T9D9HxQMJ4I/AAAAAAAAAOE/R1l_VSktse0/s1600/summer-fun-schedule2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EA8bCBCuyt8/T9D9HxQMJ4I/AAAAAAAAAOE/R1l_VSktse0/s320/summer-fun-schedule2.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">It’s summer time at my house–-for sure! All three kids are finished with school and we are transitioning into a new schedule (I use that term lightly as it’s not very schedule-y). I really enjoy having everyone back at home even if it does mean a little more work for me to manage the messes ("Who needs to take care of their breakfast mess?"), the shuttling ("Can I go to so-and-so’s?"), the individual plans (VBS for one, soccer for another, movie with friends for another), etc.</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">The summer can really get away from us if we don’t take a stab at being intentional–an oxymoron, maybe, but better to take a stab at intentionality rather than avoid it altogether, right? We were in the car the other day and brainstormed a random list of things each one of us wants to make happen this summer. I’m seeing it on friends’ Facebook pages, too. It’s too long of a time not to have some plans and it’s too short of a time to let go without making the most of it. Here are some big picture ideas as well as everyday, small ideas that can help to make space for memory making.</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><strong>Vacation</strong> Lots of families plan big vacations around fun destinations, family reunions or family visits, but vacation doesn’t have to mean big and expensive. There is something magical about getting out of town–away from the laundry, away from the office, just AWAY! Somebody has been offering their cabin/timeshare/beach house to you and you just need to say, YES! You get one of those Groupons or Living Social deals in your inbox everyday and maybe you just need to click “buy it” for the resort hotel across town and make a vacation out of that. Yes, there’s the prep work, the packing, the arrangements on the front end, but the return on your investment of time and money is well worth it in the form of experiences, memories and pictures.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><strong>Summer Barbecue </strong>You’ve been meaning to have a half dozen different families over, but life just doesn’t stop to give you a moment to make a plan. Summer was made for this! Whether you’re the hostess-with-the-mostess or more of a burgers and ‘dogs kind of gal, the get-together is the point of it all. Start with picking a date, make it late afternoon so that it’s post-naps, but still plenty of time to hang out before bed time.I love the “we’ll provide the meat and drinks, please bring a dish to pass” version.Hose down the tables and patio, set out some bubbles for the kids and BOOM! You’ve got yourself a BBQ!</span><strong><br /></strong></li><strong></strong><li><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><strong>Pool Day </strong>If you have a pool, extend an standing invitation to your friends like, “Tuesday is PoolDay! 10-1!” If you don’t have a pool, make a regular thing about going to the community pool on the same day every week. Kids love looking forward to a day where they’ll get to play with you and their friends.</span><strong><br /></strong></li><li><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><strong>Library Day </strong>Let me tell you, you might as well get familiar with your local library and regular home DEAR(Drop Everything And Read) times because every stage of development involves the importance of reading, teachers want your school-age children to keep reading over summer, and your brain could use a little language arts development, too! Which brings me to my next point:</span><strong><br /></strong></li><li><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><strong>Quiet Time </strong>Whether it’s early in the morning, during baby’s nap time or a run or yoga in the evening; you need to make some space for a quiet time. This is YOUR time where you stop, listen, breathe, think. Leave your phone in another room (for all of us clicking-junkies out there), but take a notepad with you so that as your mind slows down and you inevitably think of “need paper towels” or “water the roses” or “register for Kindermusik (wink-wink)” you can put it on the paper and take it off your mind. Maybe this is where you read. Maybe this is where you just sit and be. Maybe this is where you pray. I’m sure you’ll think of something to do and I’m sure you’ll be better for it. You need it and no one can or will do it for you, so take it!</span></li></ul><span style="color: magenta;"><em><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: magenta;"><em><span style="color: #674ea7;">This post brought to you by Jenny Leggett who is now going to read this post and apply it to herself, accordingly.</span> </em></span>Reposted from </span></span><a href="http://soundsteps.com/blog/"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">http://soundsteps.com/blog/</span></a><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">. SoundSteps is one of our absolutely fantabulous "kindred spirit" Kindermusik programs and is located&nbsp;in Dallas, Texas.</span></em></span><br />Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-9575910854595757792012-06-05T15:53:00.000-07:002012-06-05T15:53:13.116-07:00FREE Musical Story Time at Learning Express Toys in San Ramon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/"><img border="0" height="108" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J6yQLCnJWyE/T86Jr4hFFfI/AAAAAAAAANo/qNq7g1M8DfY/s320/KMLFlogo.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">presents...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Musical Storytime at Learning Express!</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sanramon.learningexpress-toys.com/index.html"><img border="0" height="45" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JhnuM_pllk4/T86KfXRHcBI/AAAAAAAAANw/KQDnz6kYsG8/s320/LearningExpressSRLogo.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Did you know that there is a super-cute new toy store in San Ramon? It's called Learning Express Toys, and it's in the Market Place. I checked it out over the weekend and, in one of those perfect coincidences, happened to run into one of my favorite Kindermusik families:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8BVAPqq4O6g/T86LrMnRCnI/AAAAAAAAAN4/dlb4V1aIeWM/s1600/mommy+claps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8BVAPqq4O6g/T86LrMnRCnI/AAAAAAAAAN4/dlb4V1aIeWM/s320/mommy+claps.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Both mother and son look exactly the same as they did in this picture, except Cayden is now&nbsp;FIVE YEARS OLD!! How did <em>that </em>happen? Anyway, Mom introduced us to the store staff and told them all about how much they love Kindermusik, and lo and behold, we have a beautiful new facility for our next Music &amp; Movement Storytimes! The best news is, these events are <strong>FREE! </strong>Here are the details -- tell your friends and pop on by:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><strong>Where: </strong>Learning Express Toys, 136 Market Place, San Ramon</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><strong>When: </strong>Tuesday &amp; Wednesday, June 19th &amp; 20th, 10am &amp; 11am</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><strong>Who: </strong>All ages are welcome! Storytimes are usually geared toward ages 2-4, but we'll have all-age favorites like the Cow Book and Cockadoodle-Moo! on hand.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><strong>Why: </strong>Because literacy is one of the very most important things you can foster in your child, because you'll get to be in a cool toy store where you can get your shopping mojo on, and because you'll get to hang out with other parents and kids and learn about Kindermusik! Are those enough reasons?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">For more information on Learning Express Toys, mosey on over to their website, </span><a href="http://sanramon.learningexpress-toys.com/index.html"><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">http://sanramon.learningexpress-toys.com/index.html</span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">. We'll see you soon!</span>﻿</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">﻿</div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-39584243899977713792012-06-02T11:21:00.000-07:002012-06-02T11:33:29.945-07:00Babies Develop Fine Motor Skills Through Baby-Safe Instruments<a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/KM_Baby_020_Comp1_web.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Baby-Safe Instruments - Tips from Kindermusik" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2281" height="150" src="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/KM_Baby_020_Comp1_web-150x150.jpg" title="KM_Baby_020_Comp1_web" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next to playing with mom, playing music is one of your baby’s favorite activities—and one of the most natural things your baby can do. Making sounds with easy-to-grasp instruments gives your baby an “I can do this” sense of accomplishment. Shaking a chime, her curiosity is instantly gratified and she’s inspired to make things happen again and again, encouraging independence and perseverance, two<br />important developmental skills.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep lots of </span><a href="http://www.kindermusik.com/store.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">baby-safe instruments</span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> within reach for free-play and exploration time.&nbsp; For their light, high sounds, and special fit for tiny hands, some of your baby’s favorite instruments will be:</span><br /><ul><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Baby bells</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chime bells</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Egg shakers</span></li></ul><h2> <span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kindermusik tip:</span></h2><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beyond the musical benefits, playing instruments like these gives your baby the<br />opportunity to use his fine motor skills. Grasping instruments between the thumb and index finger or with a fisted grasp pattern encourages the development of these important skills, which will eventually be necessary to turn a page in a favorite book, pinch cereal or peas, grasp a cup, and even hold a crayon.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Want to try a slew of baby-safe instruments this summer? Visit <a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/">www.eastbaykindermusik.com</a> to sign up for a "Peekaboo, I Love You" Kindermusik class with Miss Lindsay &amp; Friends, where you'll receive a free baby instrument with your registration! </em></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Reposted with permission from </em></span><a href="http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/</em></span></a>&nbsp;</span>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-70126474888448658052008-07-25T20:54:00.000-07:002008-07-25T21:07:16.055-07:00Miss JessicaWe love Miss Jessica! Here is a picture of our lovely administrative assistant and her two extremely cute kids, Thing 1 and Thing 2. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent.)<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227167843123024674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SIqhdWaxUyI/AAAAAAAAAIc/2ENSRKYV774/s400/Jessandboys.jpg" border="0" /><br />They love this book. It's in French. They understand it because they're really smart, and because it has pictures. <strong>Spoiler alert:</strong> the "beast" eats everything she sees, including the sun! We make munching noises on almost every page. Munching noises are our "raison d'être ."<br /> <a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SIqhXEQCw2I/AAAAAAAAAIU/B4Jm85ztbJ8/s1600-h/leventredelabete.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227167735166976866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SIqhXEQCw2I/AAAAAAAAAIU/B4Jm85ztbJ8/s400/leventredelabete.jpg" border="0" /></a>For more information on Miss Jessica, visit our <a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/AboutUs/aboutJessica.html">website</a>.Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-40665390304795562162008-07-09T23:24:00.001-07:002008-07-09T23:57:43.955-07:00Bad Blogger, Cute PicturesI am a bad blogger. It's okay, I know it. You can tell me without hurting my feelings. I only posted one blog post in the month of June. Travesty. However, I will try to make up for it with the following really cute pictures from class:<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SHWt5tTA3bI/AAAAAAAAAIE/vNqDlT3H6DQ/s1600-h/eating+bubbles+closeup.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221270549929450930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SHWt5tTA3bI/AAAAAAAAAIE/vNqDlT3H6DQ/s400/eating+bubbles+closeup.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="center">I like to call this photo, "Eating Bubbles." It's okay - they're non-toxic. They actually taste pretty good, but you're not supposed to eat them, really. The kids don't know that. We don't tell them because watching toddlers try to eat bubbles is too funny!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SHWs46peYfI/AAAAAAAAAH8/Om-jj4IFPP8/s1600-h/swish+went+the+wave.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221269436821823986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SHWs46peYfI/AAAAAAAAAH8/Om-jj4IFPP8/s400/swish+went+the+wave.jpg" border="0" /></a> 5 Little Seashells. The kids do a great job waiting for their turns to "swish" away the seashells. We don't let them eat the seashells. I have a really big seashell for the kids </div><div align="center">who can't be trusted not to try to eat them. So far, so good.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SHWsflP6_fI/AAAAAAAAAH0/5N4aseqdn1M/s1600-h/swinging+hello.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221269001580772850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SHWsflP6_fI/AAAAAAAAAH0/5N4aseqdn1M/s400/swinging+hello.jpg" border="0" /></a> Many kids like to sing hello this way. This practice keeps my chiropractor in business. Email me if you'd like a referral.<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SHWsCkkL7RI/AAAAAAAAAHs/hnVRpi2zSKA/s1600-h/happy+clapping.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221268503181126930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SHWsCkkL7RI/AAAAAAAAAHs/hnVRpi2zSKA/s320/happy+clapping.jpg" border="0" /></a>Happy clapping! We just love our class! How could we not with kids this cute? (Note to the studious reader: Please refer to the research referenced in my April blog, <a href="http://linzermusik.blogspot.com/2008/04/i-cant-believe-weve-already-filled-up.html">"Does Kindermusik Really Make You Cuter?"</a>, for more information on the correlation between Kindermusik attendance and cuteness.)</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Thank you very much to Sharon for sharing these pictures with me, and to everyone in the class for giving me permission to share them with you! </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-24179420061845960602008-06-16T21:28:00.000-07:002008-06-16T21:42:30.907-07:00ASL, Anyone???<div align="center"><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SFc9wsd2G8I/AAAAAAAAAHk/rGHBLQnJ_5Y/s1600-h/Lindy1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212703000483994562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SFc9wsd2G8I/AAAAAAAAAHk/rGHBLQnJ_5Y/s320/Lindy1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Miss Lindy, who, unlike "Miss" Lindsay, does not need braces. </div><div align="center">Look at that smile!</div><br /><br />Miss Lindy, our Dublin teacher, is absolutely fabulous! I was privileged to watch her teach our Dublin <em>Village </em>class today, and her confident enthusiasm and playful spirit lit up the entire room. The babies in particular were enthralled, vocalizing more than ever before and hitting some very high notes!<br /><br />Lindy is teaching one of the <em><strong>only Sign &amp; Sing classes in the entire Bay Area</strong> </em>this summer in Dublin and is uniquely qualified for the job. Lindy has studied American Sign Language (ASL) for several years and is currently pursuing a certificate in ASL. Moreover, she has been a certified Signing Smart instructor for several years. (Signing Smart is the company which, along with Kindermusik, created the Sign &amp; Sing curriculum.) To register for Lindy's Sign &amp; Sing class, call the City of Dublin at (925) 556-4500, or visit <a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/SignSing.html">www.eastbaykindermusik.com/SignSing.html</a> for more information on the class.Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-7609889313571177102008-05-30T21:38:00.000-07:002008-05-30T22:46:35.437-07:00The Cow Book<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SEDhRRP9s0I/AAAAAAAAAHM/u_JrrDieWos/s1600-h/Reading+on+the+parachute+usable.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206408856044680002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SEDhRRP9s0I/AAAAAAAAAHM/u_JrrDieWos/s400/Reading+on+the+parachute+usable.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />So, it is well-known amongst the Kindermusik crowd that children love books about cows. The kids routinely ask for "The Cow Book" (<em>Look Who's Talking on the Farm</em>, by Danny Tepper, below, not to be confused with <em>Cock-a-Doodle-MOO!</em>, above, which is also about farm animals).<br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SEDhLRP9szI/AAAAAAAAAHE/U_MB0XnjHL8/s1600-h/Cricket.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.flashphonics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&amp;key=1"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206408692835922722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SEDhHxP9syI/AAAAAAAAAG8/GMw1kpm6e6s/s400/Cow.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Other favorites include "The Pink Book" (<em>Shiny Dinah</em>), "The Train Book" (also <em>Shiny Dinah</em>), "The French Book" (<em>Le ventre de la bête</em>), and "The Boat Book" (confusing because we have a lot of boat books, and I never know which one the kids are asking for). The children never ask for "The Cricket Book," but since they always seem to find it riveting, I assume that they are simply hoping that I will be smart enough to interpret their silence as a request for <em>The Very Quiet Cricket</em>...or maybe "cricket" is just harder to say than "cow," "pink," "train," or "boat".<br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SEDb3RP9swI/AAAAAAAAAGs/-QC2D8mtq78/s1600-h/Cricket.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206402911809942274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SEDb3RP9swI/AAAAAAAAAGs/-QC2D8mtq78/s400/Cricket.jpg" border="0" /></a>Why read in a music class? Well, I don't want to give away any Kindermusik trade secrets, but most people probably innately realize that music and literature have a lot in common. Both art forms involve expression, phrasing, cadences, and structure. From a young age, children sing the alphabet to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle," and reading music requires one to be familiar with the fundamentals of reading language. I guess that's why story time is so often our favorite part of class. Visit <a href="http://www.childliteracy.com/babies.html">this site </a>to learn more about reading to your child at home -- the most important learning environment of all!</div></div></div></div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-44963418923876919672008-05-14T22:57:00.000-07:002008-05-30T22:47:20.929-07:00We're a Musical Family!<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCvSdThSA8I/AAAAAAAAAGM/jBbUrWG6pn8/s1600-h/Great+big+lap+ride!.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200481595627275202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCvSdThSA8I/AAAAAAAAAGM/jBbUrWG6pn8/s400/Great+big+lap+ride!.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><em>Can you guess how many of the children in this <a href="http://www.eastbaykindermusik.com/Family_Time.html">Family Time</a> photo are related?</em> </div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left">A former mentor once said, "Never reject a child," and I take this mandate very seriously. Hence, my lap is more or less open to however many children can manage to pile on. Luckily, I have a lot of room. </div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-75919179992100592382008-05-13T22:51:00.001-07:002008-05-13T23:06:54.380-07:00Sweetest Little Baby<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCp-FzhSA7I/AAAAAAAAAGE/6KKIBYk5z-w/s1600-h/verycutebaby.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200107357946905522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCp-FzhSA7I/AAAAAAAAAGE/6KKIBYk5z-w/s400/verycutebaby.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><em>Mama, Mama told me-o</em></div><div align="center"><em>I'm the sweetest little baby in the country-o</em></div><div align="center"><em>I looked in the mirror and found it so,</em></div><div align="center"><em>Just as Mama told me-o!</em></div><em></em><br />Jordan's baby cheeks and playful smile light up her Kindermusik class every week, and mom loves to sing and sign "Sweetest Little Baby" to her daughter. The sheer joy expressed in this picture is typical of Jordan's approach to life. Wouldn't it be great if we all felt that way about our place in the world?Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-6887007726009610712008-05-11T11:59:00.001-07:002008-05-11T12:42:39.428-07:00Happy Mother's Day!!!<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLuThSA6I/AAAAAAAAAF8/Vyq4DyT4iRU/s1600-h/Normal.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199207553708458914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLuThSA6I/AAAAAAAAAF8/Vyq4DyT4iRU/s400/Normal.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLfThSA5I/AAAAAAAAAF0/knlQQWVmPFA/s1600-h/Beans.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199207296010421138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLfThSA5I/AAAAAAAAAF0/knlQQWVmPFA/s400/Beans.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLaThSA4I/AAAAAAAAAFs/SEwhbrnE72k/s1600-h/Five.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199207210111075202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLaThSA4I/AAAAAAAAAFs/SEwhbrnE72k/s400/Five.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLWDhSA3I/AAAAAAAAAFk/hCffmJurdUE/s1600-h/Good.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199207137096631154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLWDhSA3I/AAAAAAAAAFk/hCffmJurdUE/s400/Good.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLQzhSA2I/AAAAAAAAAFc/uToI6Koutgw/s1600-h/Driving.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199207046902317922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLQzhSA2I/AAAAAAAAAFc/uToI6Koutgw/s400/Driving.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLMjhSA1I/AAAAAAAAAFU/BKSXVh_slEo/s1600-h/Education.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199206973887873874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLMjhSA1I/AAAAAAAAAFU/BKSXVh_slEo/s400/Education.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLBThSA0I/AAAAAAAAAFM/SNzJ6cv36UU/s1600-h/Kindergarten.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199206780614345538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdLBThSA0I/AAAAAAAAAFM/SNzJ6cv36UU/s400/Kindergarten.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdK8jhSAzI/AAAAAAAAAFE/0RX5kFOyLNg/s1600-h/Grandma.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199206699009966898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdK8jhSAzI/AAAAAAAAAFE/0RX5kFOyLNg/s400/Grandma.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdKyzhSAyI/AAAAAAAAAE8/CPiUXXbZQKM/s1600-h/Love.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199206531506242338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdKyzhSAyI/AAAAAAAAAE8/CPiUXXbZQKM/s400/Love.bmp" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>To give due credit, I must admit that this post came from a longer version on Merri's blog. Read <a href="http://masterworks.wordpress.com/">Merri's blog </a>to learn about the origins of these wonderful snippets on motherhood.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199197451945378386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCdCiThSAlI/AAAAAAAAADU/y_N315o5_s0/s320/JenBridget1.jpg" border="0" /><br />Some final thoughts from me: Whether you have five children or one, and whether you are currently coasting through motherhood or wrestling with its many challenges, know that you are doing the hardest yet most important job in the world, and that you are valued, appreciated, and loved. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-80280379879964521712008-05-06T19:38:00.000-07:002008-05-06T20:12:48.816-07:00Move over, Mozart!<div align="center"><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCEcW6dEkPI/AAAAAAAAADM/wP9dtoUD6tI/s1600-h/heartbeats.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197466624936153330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCEcW6dEkPI/AAAAAAAAADM/wP9dtoUD6tI/s320/heartbeats.gif" border="0" /></a> <strong><em>Young Child 4</em> students learning to play </strong><strong>"Call &amp; Response" </strong></div><div align="center"><strong>and "Question &amp; Answer" patterns on their drums</strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"></div><p><br />Since I spent the last post raving about my <em>Imagine That</em> students, I must give equal due to my <em>Kindermusik for the Young Child</em> students. These students, ages 5-7, are all <strong>automatically invited to become Kindermusik educators</strong> and teach with my program as soon as they turn 18. They are amazing. Almost every single child has literally tried to take over teaching the class at some point and could probably do as well or better than I do in leading the class. </p><p>They know every activity we've ever done and make frequent requests. They know how to sing on key and play accurate rhythms. They know how to move to music, and they understand concepts like <em>staccato, legato, microbeat, macrobeat, crescendo, decrescendo</em>, and so much more. They know all about "Sebastian" and Beethoven, and the Year Two students even know about Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and David Holt. Most of all, they know how to make everything they do <strong>fun!</strong><br /><br /><br /></p><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCEcNKdEkOI/AAAAAAAAADE/fMJvAm5a2W8/s1600-h/mathgirl.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197466457432428770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SCEcNKdEkOI/AAAAAAAAADE/fMJvAm5a2W8/s320/mathgirl.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><div>Fortunately, they are usually patient with me and allow me the illusion of thinking that I am their teacher, when of course, the opposite is true. They're very magnanimous that way.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-19047284862902763932008-05-02T22:59:00.001-07:002008-05-08T00:00:50.982-07:00Just One More Blog...<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SBv_cadEkLI/AAAAAAAAABs/-Nrr3Zy2-r8/s1600-h/Stephen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196027458704674994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SBv_cadEkLI/AAAAAAAAABs/-Nrr3Zy2-r8/s200/Stephen.jpg" border="0" /></a>Behold, proof that I really do work 14-hour days, as evidenced by the fact that I am still on the computer writing a blog. However, look at this little boy. Can you blame me? He comes to every class prepared with a huge grin, a great attitude, and at least three adoring family members at any given time. <strong>Favorite activities include clapping, patting, smiling, giggling</strong>, socializing, giving kisses, playing with scarves, and putting instruments away.<br /><br />I don't want my families to think that I have posted this child's picture because he is my favorite, because as everyone knows, <strong><em>all </em>the children are my</strong> <strong>favorites!</strong> However, I can only share pictures of kids whose parents have expressly given permission to publish. Therefore, if you have pictures of your Kindermusical child that you would like to share, please send them my way!Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-63706581339991725722008-05-02T21:20:00.000-07:002008-05-03T09:23:21.470-07:00Imagine That!<a href="http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Fields/8616/music/jsbach2.jpg"></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SBv1xadEkJI/AAAAAAAAABc/lBqzQD4afms/s1600-h/IT_C.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196016824365650066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SBv1xadEkJI/AAAAAAAAABc/lBqzQD4afms/s320/IT_C.jpg" border="0" /></a>Okay, so now that I sort of know how to blog, I have to share what an amazing time we had in our <em>Imagine That: Toys I Make, Trips I Take</em> class today. I'll admit, I was nervous, and not without reason. We had explored the Toy Shop in Weeks 1-4, and in Weeks 5-8, we were successfully able to transition into a musical discussion of boats, including songs about boats, stories about boats, building boats, and sitting in a variety of pretend boats. However, today, we started focusing on <strong>trains</strong>! Excuse me? How dare we spend only four weeks discussing boats when there was certainly more boat fun to be had! </div><div></div><br /><div>It consistently amazes me how we adults so easily assume that children are getting bored with something just because we find it repetitive. We tend to forget that <strong>children thrive on repetition</strong>. Nonetheless, these children's parents paid for a class that included toys, boats, and trains, and my job is to give everyone their money's worth. </div><div></div><br /><div>Eventually, the kids realized that trains were just as much fun as boats, and they came up with some great impromptu ideas that reminded me why this program is called <em>Imagine That!</em> We took our trains to <strong>Disneyland</strong>, to the fair, to the forest, and finally -- you guessed it -- to a boat. We created human trains while sitting on the floor, chugging in a line, and dancing across the room. We sang a train echo song, which taught me that these kids really are making tremendous strides in their singing ability. During <strong>Sharing Time,</strong> we even learned how to square dance!<br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.cypressgardens.com/rides_attractions_shows/images/rio_grande_train_RASimage.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.cypressgardens.com/rides_attractions_shows/images/rio_grande_train_RASimage.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><br /><div>The children's social skills seemed to be blossoming as fruitfully as their musical skills. Formerly shy singers led the group in song. Children who had been reluctant to interact volunteered ideas for new activity adaptations. All of the kids seemed to be learning how to balance their needs for instant gratification with the desire to work cooperatively with the group. After class, several of the children stayed to finish reading our library book about <strong>Johann Sebastian Bach</strong>. Even their attention spans are growing!<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div>Could 3 1/2 - 5-year-olds receive all of these benefits from any other program? I doubt it. What's so exciting about <em>Imagine That</em>, like all of Kindermusik's core curricula, is its ability to <strong>effectively utilize the zone of proximal development </strong>to <strong>nurture the whole child</strong>-- in other words, to meet the children where they are and gently move them forward in all of the areas in which they need to grow. </div><br /><div>I love my job. </div></div></div></div></div></div>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925139351554550390.post-73087357043604543612008-05-02T20:53:00.000-07:002008-05-03T09:23:21.470-07:00Blogging Buddies<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SBvlDqdEkEI/AAAAAAAAAA0/OG7hwMPNmLQ/s1600-h/secretary.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195998446200590402" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_pHWFfgk-O-o/SBvlDqdEkEI/AAAAAAAAAA0/OG7hwMPNmLQ/s320/secretary.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I must express my appreciation to Kindermusik Educator <a href="http://kmvalley.blogspot.com/">Helen Peterson</a> and Kindermusik mommy <a href="http://www.paigeinthelife.blogspot.com/">Paige</a> for helping me learn how to blog. You would think someone who spends an average of eight hours a day on the computer would naturally know how to do this, but alas, osmosis seems not to be a viable pedagogical tool after all -- at least, not outside of the music and movement classroom. Young children can naturally pick up rhythms, melodies, and even social skills just by being in the room while their friends and loved ones are engaging in enriching, research-based musical activities, perhaps in part because they are still in that critical neural period during which their little brains soak up everything around them. Alas, such is not the case for adults attempting to learn to use new technology. Attempting to rhythmically entrain with the buzzing of the computer may result in a zen trance and contribute to sleeplessness and loss of visual acuity, but it does not a blogging expert make. So, thanks very much to the true experts who have helped me figure out how to do this:<br /><p>...</p><p>Uh-oh. There was supposed to be a picture there. Apparently I still have some learning to do.</p>Lindsay Levinhttps://plus.google.com/109807160667993538826noreply@blogger.com0